Writing is brave work, especially when it comes to the tricky badlands of your personal business. When a real-life person inspires a fictional character, we sensitive writers are often afraid that the subject of our inspiration will recognize him/herself. We … Continue reading →

Picture a scene from a horror movie—it usually goes something like this: The heroine sits on the couch to watch television after putting the kids to bed. She’s alone, it’s dark out, and it’s pouring buckets of rain outside. She … Continue reading →

Is there any true fiction? I would venture to say that the answer is no. As a writer, I draw upon my own experiences, observations, and research. Most of my characters have traits that I have observed in others or … Continue reading →

Way too often on a first draft, I lead with back story. It’s a habit I hope to outgrow as my writing matures. But in the meantime, I need strategies to fix it once all that background info is already there, … Continue reading →

We would like to extend a big congratulations and hug to Pam Tuck, author of As Fast As Words Could Fly! 100 NYC 5th graders voted on May 6 to decide which book (out of the top 10 finalists) would win … Continue reading →

I was definitely the very last person I know to get an iPhone last November. I had heard stories about all the great things it can do for years, but I was skeptical. Well, I must say after using it … Continue reading →